Those Really Annoying Birds in the Morning: To the Glory of the Father

Give the LORD-

You heavenly beings-

Give the LORD the glory due His name;

Worship the LORD

In the splendor of His holiness.

In His temple all cry, “Glory!”

The LORD sat enthroned at the flood;

The LORD sits enthroned,

King forever.

The LORD gives

His people strength;

The LORD blesses His people with peace.

-Psalm 29:1-2;9b-11

I am working on the next part of my God does what Google can’t series, but be patient with me please. So, in the meantime, I am posting this.

The title of this post may have some people confused. I always wake up and hear the birds chirping. If you know me, you should know that I am possibly the most anti-morning person on the face of the earth. I can be pleasant, but it is because I have either one, gotten enough sleep, or two, I don’t have an exhausting schedule in front of me.

As you may have guessed, I am the person who wants to shoot the birds in the morning, not join in with them. Unless I have had the proper amount of sleep, birds that assemble around where I am should hide in their nests.

There is one thing, though, that the birds have right. They sing to glorify their creator. Even though it is, in my opinion, way too early to be perky, we should take a lesson from those really annoying birds. Shouldn’t we wake up and glorify God? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should be Miss Morning Sally or Mr. Morning Sam, but we do need to remember, that even in our exhaustion, Christ should still be the focus of our lives.

I know I am being the BIGGEST hypocrite on the face of the earth right now. I tend to throw things and be cranky and irritable in the mornings, but I’m working on it.

So, in conclusion, try to be like the really annoying birds in the morning. Not waking people up, but glorifying God constantly.

May the peace of the Father be with you

Meghan

God Does What Google Can't: Intro

My lips will glorify You

because Your faithful love is better than life.

So I will praise You as long as I live;

at Your name, I will lift up my hands.

You satisfy me as with rich food;

my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.

-Psalm 63:3-5

I’m a fan of Google. I’d even say that I’m a Google Guru. Maybe not extreme Google Guru, but I do know most things, and use, that Google is capable of. I’d say, if you live in the 21^st century, own a computer, and are under the age of, let’s say, 35, you are a Google Guru. Google can do most everything.

However, there is one thing that Google can’t do. It can’t ever be God. Ever. Sometimes, we put things above God and trust Google for things we should trust God for (and other things too, Google will just be the subject of this).

I intend for this to be a series of blog posts (and who knows, maybe it will be a book someday) in which I will explore the vast greatness of God.

You must know before I partake in this adventure what the origin of the title of this blog series is called. I was in Lifeway, doing some shopping for some light reading (remember, light for me means under 10 books), when I remembered I wanted a book. I could not find the book (Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears; this is a must-read) and could not remember the authors. What did I do, you may ask? Well, I texted Google. For some strange reason Google did not turn up any results. I was quite frustrated because I really wanted the book, but I figured that God did not want me to have the book.

With my other books in hand, I began to trudge off to the counter. As God would have it, I looked at the shelves of Lifeway one last time, when a book popped out at me. You guessed it! It was Vintage Jesus. God let me focus in on one book. I have started this book and it is progressing slowly, but He has taught me SOOO much by me reading it.

Continuing with the story, I checked out and began to make the lengthy trek home on the Beltline. When I was about halfway home, I had an epiphany. God does what Google can’t. Google must have had a flub in its system because I just texted the same thing and it worked. God works in mysterious ways. So, now I’m here, with the idea that God gave me to write about His glory in comparison to the incompetency of the world.

Maybe this will turn into one of my books. Maybe that’s not what God has planned. I have, however, felt the need to brag on my God lately, so He is giving me an outlet to do that. I hope to use other people’s stories and continue to brag on Him till the day I die, even if it is not in this blog. I have seven topic as of right now:

1. Give you wisdom

2. Google + can help you connect with friends, but God gives you friends

3. A future

4. Google can give you updates on bad news but God gives you hope

5. Jesus died for your sins, Google can’t forgive your sins

6. Google gives you facts about history, God creates history

7. God gives you freedom

There may or may not be more posts than this, but I felt like this would be a good start. These are also not in a certain order. This may turn into something other than what I have intended, but if it is what God has intended, that’s cool too. There may be unrelated posts in between. I make no promises when it comes to this series.

This is my last post before I leave for college (well, I’m 99.9% sure it is), so when I get back to you, I hope to have many awesome things to share about God and what He is doing. I may be in touch with some people about sharing stories about God’s glory in their lives, so be on the lookout!!

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.-1 Peter 5:14b

Meghan

Falling Off Like Leaves

My second favorite time of year (behind winter) is fall. I love the crisp air, the beautiful leaves, pumpkin cookies and coffees, and the boots and scarves I get to wear. One of my favorite parts is the leaves falling. Maybe this is a little weird, because they are dying, but they always remind me of my life.

This leads me to one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It comes off possibly the most “decorated” pages in my Bible. I have marked this page up and down with purple pen, written notes, smiley faces, exclamation points, and underlined so many things. First Peter 2:1-5 (though I may use some after that) is this awesome passage I am talking about.

So rid yourselves of all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual mild, so that you may grow by it in your salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good. Coming to Him, a living stone-rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God- you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

I absolutely love this passage. I don’t have any reason why, but it always sticks out to me and means something different to me each time I read it.

This book was written by Peter to fellow believers being persecuted in Asia Minor. In the opening of this letter he begins to say that you are set apart, given a living hope, then he begins to explain what we should do since we are set apart. I’d encourage you to read all of 1 Peter. It isn’t long at all. It is five chapters in all and you can read it in one sitting, five nights, or whatever you fancy.

The reason I told the background and summarized (very briefly) the first chapter is to let you know that what Peter says in 1:13-the end of the book isn’t optional. We, as Christians, are set apart and therefore are called to be different.

Because we have been born again, we desire to grow. All babies desire to grow. They desire milk and it is a natural instinct for them to do so. So by Peter saying here that we should desire the unadulterated (pure) spiritual milk, it isn’t anything strange. We have been born again and need nourishment (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

Because of this we must get rid of all things wicked. If we are born again we must DESIRE the “spiritual milk” to grow in Christ because we have the experience that Christ is good. We are valuable to God and are set apart.

I really feel like that last paragraph doesn’t make sense, but it is SO important. I am all about some lists so I think I just might use one right now.

1. Become set apart (born again)

2. Desire the “basics” of Christianity*

3. Grow in our salvation

*by basics, I mean v. 1 of chapter 2. We must turn away from the world and desire to be in Christ & because we are in Christ we cannot be in the world (Romans 12:1-2)

So, back to the first paragraph of this blog. Though it may be weird that I like leaves dying, I think it really is an encouragement to me. Though Peter was talking to “baby” Christians, it speaks to me, a Christian of almost 11 years, just as much. We must die to ourselves to be born again. Though the leaves die in the fall and are dead all winter, they are born again! In spring the trees begin to produce leaves and fruit and flowers. I know this cycle repeats every year, and I feel that we have to that too. Because we are human, we mess up and need to start over sometimes. Not another “re-birth,” but more of a “refresher.” We get filled with the world and we need to take a few days, weeks, months, or even years to focus again on Christ. Peter is telling us here that we need to crave the basics. We need to get rid of all wickedness, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, and just remember that God is good and focus on that.

So on a personal note, I’d like to say that God is good. This summer, I have been so blessed and deserve none of it. I have received encouragement, renewed relationships, let go of some, made friends, been renewed in the Spirit, and have had the ability to minister to people that I have been praying about for a long time.

I leave for college in 17 days and cannot wait to see where God will take me in this next chapter in my life. I hope to post a few more times before I leave, but I can’t guarantee anything. And when I start school, all bets are off. I do hope that I am able to continue, God willing, this blog and see where it takes me. Who knows, maybe I’ll start my book!

Peace to all of you who are in Christ. -2 Peter 5:14

-Meghan